lyman and t/c

[daniel collums]

been looking at both in 54 cal. is there any thing that makes one better than the other. the t/c has the 1-48 twist making it good for both prb and conical bullets. lyman has the 1-60 or 1-38 will the 1-38 do as well with the prb as the 1-48. does the lyman suffer the same as far as the stock cracking like on some t/c's.

 

[necchi]

In all honesty you'll get arguments for both guns, this forum has a fondness for the Lyman GPR,,

No, the 1-38 won't do as well with round ball.

It's all about fit.
Some the GPR won't fit,
Some the TC Hawken won't fit,

The flat butt of the Renegade and Deerstalker fits just about everyone.

Neither models or makers have stocks that crack with any frequency, with all stocks cracks are caused by abuse or neglect either by shipping or the owner.

 

[sumoj275]

Necchi has it. The Thompson doesn't fit me well. I have not really played with a Lyman GPR but picked up an Investarms Trade Rifle, company that makes Lyman's rifles, and really enjoy shooting it. Try before you buy if you can.

 

[Semisane]

I have two Great Plains rifles (.50 & .54), three TC Renegades (.45, .50 & .54), and two TC Hawkens (.50 & .58).

The GP fits me best, followed by the Renegade, then the Hawken. But I don't find any of them uncomfortable to shoulder or shoot.

If I could keep only one it would be a tough choice between the .54 GP (for fit and caliber) and the .58 (mostly for caliber).

 

[daniel collums]

In my area now days there are 3 people counting myself that still shoot traditional type muzzle loaders. Me i shoot t/c and traditions, the other two shoot cva or traditions flintlocks. We ran adds in three different county newspapers in our area two years ago trying to get a club started and the only people that showed up was about 20 or so, we were the only 3 the rest brought knights,encores and such with scopes. We had fun and done it a few more times then it just fizzled out. Most of the reason i think was the cost and availability of powder and them modern bullets. At that time the primitive hunting group had done away with muzzle loaders and gone to big bore single shot guns like 45-70s and 444 and such. And this season will be the end of that cause you will be able to hunt with modern rifles during primitive deer season. So i have never even seen a lyman rifle and the price they want for one of them i don't figure i will anytime soon. I have a 50 cal t/c wmc, t/c hawken 50 and a 50 t/c renagade and they all fit me. My 50 cal traditions kentucky is fun to shoot with 70grs but if i go up much it slaps my cheek hard. Thats bad on me cause i had a accident back in 2000 on a bulldozer late one night fighting a forest fire and got my face broke up bad, cheek and jaw along with a list of other big bones so i got lots of wire screws and big rods holding me together. I reckon the main thing that aims me towards the t/c is the 1-48 twist. the price for a top grade used t/c and lyman run about the same, maybe a little more for the lyman.

 

[Rat Trapper]

The TC Hawkens rifles fit and work very well for me. I like how they are made and how they perform. I also have several Green Mountain barrels for them. You can spend more or less money but I still feel the TC Hawkens are a great rifle for the guy just getting into this game. Nice rifle for traditional hunting & shooting.

 

[Dave Marsh]

+1 for me. I prefer TC's.

:thumbsup:

 

[cynthialee]

I have only fired T/C. Never had the chance to shoot a Lyman.

There was an old ugly beat up Lyman Trade Rifle in the pawn shop about 6 months ago. When I picked it up and shouldered it, it felt smooth. Like perfect smooth. It went to my shoulder like it was made specifically for me.
Yes, I want one.

{I didn't buy it because they wanted more than it was worth, and it will need a trip to a gunsmith to be freshed and the wood needs some serious TLC.}

 

[splinter84]

All you can really do is shoulder them and see how they fit. I shot my neighbors CVA Hawken. Not a TC but pretty close for the fit and feel any way. That thing would slap my cheek badly after every shot. Never really felt good to me. I tried a GPR and it felt much better. You know the choice I went with.

 

[CFCE]

Have a TC Hawken in .45. Doesn't matter what load I shoot recoil is always a straight back push. Like someone putting their hand on your shoulder and giving a short fast push, not a sudden punch. Not uncomfortable at all.

 

[kingsax26]

I own both a t/c renegade and a Lyman GPR....honestly id say its 6 one way and 1/2 a dozen the other. It really depends on the fit of the shooter, and in my case...what your looking for. while neither are what i would call traditional....the lyman is much more traditionally styled. I have to say that I like my GPR better...but in .50 cal is a very heavy beast! plus i left alot of the wood on the rifle ...over all get what you like best and shoot til your trigger finger falls off

 

[nkbj]

Being left eyed in a right eye world I just learn to shoot what I got. :idunno:

 

[Swede50]

I bought a Lyman GPR 54 caliber Percussion Kit many years ago and had fun putting it together. It shoots better than I can it has the slow twist. I have not had any problems with the stock cracking.
I can load LEE REAL bullets they fit well, and I have put 5 in one ragged hole at 25 yards.
I have not tried the REAL bullets at any further distance. The range I shoot at is 25 and 100 yards paper targets only.
I have been told many times that if you load a patched round ball in a fast twist and use to much powder it will skip the rifling not spin ruining the patch. If there is any truth to it I cannot say.
I had a chance to purchase a TC 50cal Flint lock with the fast twist from a dealer on Gun Broker it was priced at $425.00 the first time it ran but I did not have the funds.
The second time it ran he had increased the price to $450.00 I bought it. At that time they were $600.00+ at the local Wally World.
The TC was listed as a new rifle but it was old stock had been on the shelf for many years it had not been loaded or fired.
It did not have the QLA which I did not want. I bought a coning tool from one of the forum members I can push a patched round ball flush with the muzzle for easier loading.
I have killed many deer with my Inline 50 cal but I have since gone to a Flint Lock to make it more of a challenge.
I have taken both the Lyman and TC deer hunting but have not had a shot with either but have punched plenty of paper.
I did shoot a squirrel with the 54 but could not find enough to eat.

 

[stinkyfeet]

I have 3 different kinds of Hawkens rifles, a Pedersoli Missouri 54 cal, a TC hawkens 54 cal w/a 32 inch mowry barrel, and a lyman gpr. Out of all 3 rifle my TC is my go to gun because it is by far the most accurate hands down. Most of it could be the barrel made for it. However I am 6'6" and like the wider stock on the TC as well. However I like the looks of the Pedersoli the best with the perty maple stock, and then the GPR in all browned out finish (kit gun) then the TC Hawkens for overall appearance. That's just my take on the subject. I just one the Grand Agg. at the local shoot last month using the TC much to the dismay of the guys sporting 2K custom guns. A good fitting gun of either company with a clean bore w/o rust or pits, will out shoot your abilities.

 

[Dave Rosenthal]

My son & I each own a Lyman Trade Rifle in .50 percussion. They're both '48 twist bores. Both rifles have cut cards in half (20 yards)with both patched round balls as well as T/C 370 grain Maxi-Balls. He won Filet Mignon and a 1st Place at our Over-The-Log Shoot at 60 yards with a 49x50-2x using the 370 grain Maxi's, and I was able to earn my NRA Distinguished Expert with mine.

Lyman don't look as pretty as others, but they sure do SHOOT!

Dave

 

[catman]

T/C has the best off the shelf set triggers, you can adjust it till it's right there.

Lyman GPR's you got to work on them to make them right there and smooth. Been there...

 

[zimmerstutzen]

A TC with a Mowery barrel is not a TC stock gun. Far fewer prizes are won with TC factory barrels.
The Lyman fits most average to tall men bettwr. Some folks just never get the hang of shooting that crescent butt plate.

I have won a lot of prizes with an unfinished Invest Arms Hawken kit with a Lyman production lock and TC set triggers and a H&H barrel. I just call it Old Ugly. A relatively fast percussion lock and a vastly superior barrel (than production) can be severely accurate.

A stock TC barrel in 1:48 is ok for hunting accuracy, not for paper matches. At best, off a bench with the lousey TC sights is a 4 inch group at 100 yds. Better sights can shrink that.

Most fast twist barrels will shoot tight PRB's over low charges with good accuracy. (A friend won a lot of prizes with a stubby little muzzle loader he made from an old 38-55 cartridge barrel. His 25 yd offhand charge was only 20 grains of 3fg With average hunting charges, a PRB in a fast twist barrel wouldn't hit a barn from the hay loft.

 

[stinkyfeet]

You are correct Sir, I should have made it more clear a mowery barrel is not stock for TC but it sure does shoot better than the stock 54 barrel does by a lot too.

 

[daniel collums]

Well its been a few days since this post and from some of the new statements in a couple difference post it looks to me that t/c does have a cracking problem and the quality of some gpr's is lacking. The cracking stocks are due to a few different things and not all the t/c have this problem, same for the gpr in the quality department. The bad thing about t/c is the fact the company can't honor their warranty and it looks like lyman doesn't care about sending out second grade craftsmanship. With that said i have seen nice gpr's on here and know of lots of t/c rifles that are old been shot hundreds of times and have no cracks and are fine shooters.

 

[MtnWolf]

Having seen many fine GPR's over the years on this forum I had opted to replace my older CVA 50 with a new Lyman GPR ... needless to say that was a mistake. Just happy the old CVA is still in fine condition as it will remain my go-to rifle. If I had to do it all over again, I would look very hard at the TC, Pedersoli or Traditions before investing in a Lyman.